The same cannot be said for those who relentlessly compare Kante to Makelele at every given chance.Therefore, to analyse Kante with the same parameters as Makelele is negligent and shows a lack of analysis that goes unnoticed in the game. However, at the King Power Stadium, Kante was part of a midfield two alongside Danny Drinkwater. They may be two of the best central midfielders to grace the Premier League, but to conflate their respective roles based solely on their appearances is sorely wide of the mark.Under the tutelage of Claudio Ranieri in Leicester’s title-winning season, Kante operated in a double-pivot in a box-to-box role alongside either Danny Drinkwater or Andy King.Kante’s role, quite clearly defined by Ranieri, revolved around driving forwards and winning possession against unsuspecting opponents for the counter. With Chelsea Makelele won two Premier League titles, a FA Cup, two EFL Cup, and an English Super Cup.Both midfielders are beloved by the Chelsea faithful and as Kante is still at the club, he will have time to break new records and win a number of trophiesKane joined the Blues back in 2016 from Leicester City for €35.8 million. Welcome to Daily Focus Nigeria, I am a blogger and a computer engineer in Nigeria, My aims and objectives are to get you update in the world of sports, entertainment, news across the globe, education Tips and many moreEnter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.Makelele moved to Chelsea in 2003 from Real Madrid, for €20 million and spent nearly 5 years there. The 29-year-old has featured in 164 matches for Chelsea, having scored 11 goals and assisted 7 times. So, I will detail why Kante’s midfield role differs from Makelele’s, despite their mutual defensive functions.The main difference between Kante and Makelele’s respective roles can be traced by tactical trends in the Premier League.
Of course, Kante has a way to go … More pertinently, Kante’s stock rose significantly under Conte’s tenure where the tactical trend shifted to three defenders and wing-backs.Contrarily Makelele’s role, as defined by himself, involved shuttling across the space in front of his defence, reading and dictating the game without straying from his position. Kante was of course sold by Ranieri's Leicester to Chelsea earlier this year. This becomes evident considering Kante’s drop in tackles and interceptions per 90 this season (1.6 and 0.9 respectively). During this time he made 217 appearances for the Blues, scored twice, and provided six assists. But that was also 10-15 years ago, and football tactics have evolved since then. Particularly in the Premier League, which has recently experienced a significant uptake in its intensity and speed.While many would argue that Sarri is misusing Kante, at least Sarri can recognise Kante’s attacking prowess. These figures are much lower than in his two title-winning seasons (4.7 and 4.2 in 2015/16 and 3.6 and 2.4 in 2016/17).This would suggest that Kante’s role is an evolution of Makelele’s role, with the added attacking freedom necessary to exploit the former’s relentless locomotion.This shift in formation not only accentuated Kante’s omnipresence on the pitch but saw Chelsea win 84% of their remaining league games, with Kante as a driving force in their title-winning season.This rise in intensity does not compliment the use of a single-pivot in midfield, as can be seen by Jorginho’s struggles at Chelsea.
The main difference between Kante and Makelele’s respective roles can be traced by tactical trends in the Premier League. Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante 's displays this season have spurred comparisons with ex-Blues star Claude Makelele. Rather, Kante’s offensive and defensive capabilities thrive in a double-pivot, where only one central midfielder attacks at a time. Some cite his performances for Leicester City as the reason for that belief. But Makelele - Kante's French compatriot - … He has become one of the most essential players at the Stamford Bridge since his arrival.
Makelele thrived as the midfield anchor in a 4-3-3 formation which was a new trend in the league at that time. However, many feel Kante is best used in the ‘Makelele role’, a defensive screen in front of the backline. But that was also 10-15 years ago, and football tactics have evolved since then. Under Conte, Kante operated in his familiar double-pivot as a mobile box-to-box midfielder.Despite this, Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has deployed Kante in an advanced right-central-midfield birth, where his responsibilities focus more on attacking runs than breaking up play.